Esteem: November 20, 2012

TODAYS WORD FOR TUESDAY NOVEMBER 20, 2012.

ESTEEM

DEFINITION:

Set a high value on; regard favorably; to have respect or admiration for.

SCRIPTURE:

He is despised and rejected by men, a man of sorrows and acquainted with grief. And we hid, as it were, our faces from Him; He was despised and we did not esteem Him. Isaiah 53:3.

KNOWLEDGE AND EXPERIENCE:

Jesus is the Son of God and God could have sent Him to this earth in all His Majesty as our glorious King. Instead, He came into this world as a humble and suffering servant. Isaiah describes Christ in Isaiah 53:2 as” having no majesty and no beauty that would attract us to Him.” He was an ordinary man. The Jewish people did not esteem Him as their Messiah because He did not meet their expectations.

We would think that God would send Jesus in His majesty and in His glory. God, however, does not do things in ways that we would expect them to be done. What He does, He does to accomplish His purpose. His purpose was to provide a way for us to escape the punishment that we deserve for all of our sins. God sent Jesus into this world to be our sacrificial lamb.

“He was oppressed and afflicted. He was led like a lamb to the slaughter.”(Isaiah 53:7) When we think of all that Jesus suffered for us and His great gift of forgiveness and eternal life, how can we not esteem Him as our Lord and Savior. Nevertheless, many do not acknowledge and esteem Jesus. He is despised and rejected by many today, just as He was despised and rejected by those who knew Him while He was here on earth.

Jesus is worthy of our esteem. All those who do not reject Jesus and accept Him as their personal Savior will one day sing with the angels in heaven:

“Worthy is the Lamb that was slain to receive power, and riches, and wisdom,

And strength, and honor, and glory, and blessing.” Revelation 5:12.

LEARNING:

Our memory verse for this week is found in Joshua 24:15.

Choose for yourselves whom you will serve: as for me and my house, we will serve the Lord.

PRAYER:

I love You Lord and I esteem You as my Lord and my Savior. Thank You that You willingly left Your home in glory to be despised and rejected by man and to suffer and die for my sins. Guide me as I teach my family to esteem You as Lord of our lives.